The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed a delayed appeal filed by the federal government in a service-related matter, declaring it time-barred and rejecting the plea for condonation of delay. In a strongly worded ruling, Justice Ayesha Malik observed that the government would be treated like any ordinary litigant before the court.
She stated that the state is not a special or unique party and must comply with the same legal requirements imposed on citizens. The court emphasized that while the state expects citizens to follow the law, it cannot seek exemptions for itself on administrative grounds. The bench rejected the government’s request to excuse a 20-day delay in filing the appeal, noting that internal office procedures or administrative hurdles cannot override statutory time limits.